Editor’s Note: The following is the second of a two-part series that looks back on some of the more memorable news stories of 2010. This article covers June to December.
June
• Eight forest rangers and volunteer firefighters left Northern Maine Regional Airport in Presque Isle, destined to fight fires in Quebec.
• Francis R. Grey Jr. assumed the duties of town manager for Portage Lake.
• The Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library received a $1 million gift from Mary Barton Akeley Smith, with funding designated for the facility’s expansion. Akeley Smith’s mother had once served as librarian.
• It was announced Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Center would host a 2011 World Cup biathlon race.
• Troy Haney, owner of Haney Building Specialties of Caribou, was named 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year during a wine tasting and dinner at NMCC, hosted by LEAD and Momentum Aroostook.
• Three county school districts — SAD 20, SAD 42 and the Bridgewater School Department — formed the Mid-County School System under the state’s consolidation initiative.
• Ten fire departments fought a blaze at Lucerne Farms in Fort Fairfield, which damaged primarily the storage area of the forest feed production facility.
• A map was unveiled at Haystack Mountain, noting the origin of the mountain and how it evolved from a volcano to the popular tourist attraction it is today.
• SAD 1 honored retirees: Ed Avery, Marti Pritchard, Byron “Barney” Lockhart, Allen Henderson, Nelson “Nellie” Guerrette and Patricia Cole.
• TAMC prepared for a change in leadership, with the retirement of President and CEO David Peterson and the hiring of his replacement, Sylvia Sather Getman, who most recently managed a 19-bed hospital on Nantucket Island, Mass.
• The Presque Isle Kiwanis Club celebrated its 60th anniversary with a special dinner and awards presentation.
• Presque Isle police investigated an armed robbery at Subway on Main Street.
• Bobbi Jo Guerrette, who was born without ears, returned to Mars Hill following ear-construction surgery in California, with a second surgery scheduled at a later date.
• Angel Parsons, who has several medical issues, received the good news she and her grandmother would travel to Xenia, Ohio, in September to pick up a service dog.
July
• Unseasonably warm temperatures were recorded, with highs in the 80s combined with high humidity.
• Presque Isle police credit a video surveillance image posted on Facebook for leading to the arrest of Mark Mullen in connection with an armed robbery at Subway.
• Republican legislators supported Sen. Susan Collins in her quest to have potatoes included in the federal Women, Infants ad Children (WIC) program.
• The federal Surface Transportation Board held a public hearing at the Presque Isle District Court to gather input on Montreal, Maine and Atlantic’s proposed abandonment of about 240 miles of track between Madawaska and Millinocket. Federal, state and local officials spoke of the problems that would arise if the line was abandoned without an alternate rail service put in place. MMA officials spoke of the financial difficulties the company has undergone, in light of the economic slump in recent years.
• Students of the Presque Isle Regional Career and Technical Center brought home gold and silver medals from the National SkillsUSA Competition in Kansas City June 19-26.
• The Northern Maine Regional Airport was one of eight airports in the state to receive Federal Aviation Administration dollars — a $23,987 grant — to upgrade and expand their infrastructure.
• Little Miss Caribou Amber Moir was crowned 2010 Little Miss Maine Potato Queen.
• In its first Pre-Teen Miss and Teen Miss Potato Blossom Pageant, Madison Bearden 2010 Pre-Teen Miss Maine Potato Queen and 2010 Teen Miss Maine Potato Queen Michaela Powers were crowned.
• Presque Isle City Council lowered the city’s mil rate to 23.5 — down one point from the 2009 figure.
• Officials with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension hoped to one day add garlic to the list of things Maine is known for — creating a Maine Garlic Project, a participatory research program where community members contribute to the overall knowledge of garlic and garlic production in Maine.
• Mapleton’s Elena Ford was crowned Jr. Miss Maine Potato Queen 2010, while Brittni Mosher, of Mars Hill, was named the 2010 Maine Potato Queen.
• Easton delayed the start of school by nine days due to a construction project at the elementary school.
• SAD 1 prepared to launch an after-school program that will help struggling students hone their learning skills in reading and math.
• Presque Isle police and fire departments investigated arson at Mantle Lake Park.
• Seth Paddleford and a group of swimmers took part in the annual Swim-A-Cross at the Presque Isle Indoor Pool, raising $1,500 for the American Red Cross.
• Easton’s mil rate dropped 1 point, to 14.65.
• Sen. Susan Collins successfully secured initial approval of $3 million for the state of Maine’s effort to repair and improve the rail lines in Aroostook and Penobscot counties that MM&A sought to abandon.
• The families of Dominic and Gilbert LaJoie, brothers who represent five generations of farming in Van Buren and Cyr Plantation, were honored as the Maine Potato Board’s 2010 Farm Family of the Year.
August
• Presque Isle City Council approved a scrap metal deal with Geary S. Bonville.
• Mariah LeMieux-Lupien shared her gardening talents with those less fortunate, creating the Hand to Hand Organic Garden Project which provides produce to local non-profit agencies.
• Displaced Ashland mill workers received Trade Adjustment Assistance to help them seek training and education to enable them to find work.
• The Maine’s Board of Licensure in Medicine pulled Dr. Ellen Michalowski’s license.
• Presque Isle’s infrastructure underwent safety improvements, with the redesigning of the parking lot adjacent to Riverside Drive to slow traffic through the lot, as well as sidewalk work on State Street to address pedestrian crossing safety issues.
• Connect North America closed its doors at its 18 Greenhill Drive, Presque Isle, facility, citing a decrease in business directed to the company from their broker.
• Construction began to replace the handicap ramp and front steps of the Presque Isle Post Office.
• Donna Lisnik was named principal of Presque Isle High School to replace Eric Waddell.
• The Maine Potato Board said this year’s potato crop looked good.
• The former Ashland Community High School was demolished.
• Maine & Maritimes Corporation — parent company of Maine Public Service — shareholders favored a merger between MAM AND BHE Holdings Inc. of Bangor, whose parent company is Emera Inc., a Canadian-based energy company.
• Wendell Purvis, of Tallahassee, was one of several balloonists who took to the sky for the sixth annual Crown of Maine Balloon Fest.
• Presque Isle High School began charging admission for soccer games.
• The Northern Maine Fair Association crowned three queens: Tiny Miss Northern Maine Fair 2010 Cassidy Girard, of Fort Fairfield; Jr. Miss Northern Maine Fair 2010 Stephanie Hammond, of Easton; and Little Miss Northern Maine Fair 2010 Grace Braley, of Mapleton.
• Lt. Col. Kenneth Hayden ventured from Arizona to Fort Fairfield to pay tribute to his ancestors and others he called the “forgotten royal patriot sons of Maine,” during a ceremony at Riverside Cemetery.
September
• City Manager Jim Bennett, speaking during a City Council department head workshop, encouraged councilors to pursue development in the city as a way to maintain the mil rate rather than cutting positions/services in order to save money.
• Negotiations stalled between state and Montreal, Maine & Atlantic officials with regard to the future of rail service between Madawaska and Millinocket. Part of the problem involved access to the smaller portions of the line that MM&A wished to retain that would require whoever purchases the abandoned section to pay to travel that section.
• Ashland’s mil rate saw a 1-point increase to 18.25.
• Trudie Buck, Mapleton’s town clerk, retired after 36 years on the job.
• A Maine-based investor group, including the Libra Foundation, purchased Naturally Potatoes of Mars Hill from Basic American Foods, headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif.
• City Council approved a $70,000 loan to the Northern Maine Finance Corporation for the acquisition and installation of 175,000 Kw electrical generator at the former MBNA building at 18 Greenhill Dr. The loan factored into BalanceBPO’s agreement to set up shop at the location, creating over 100 jobs.
• Firefighters from across the state converged on Presque Isle to take part in the Maine State Federation of Firefighters Convention.
• A federal grant allowed Pine Street students in Presque Isle to receive healthy snacks.
• Shayne Hathaway, a U.S. Marine serving in Afghanistan and Washburn native, was honored with a hero’s welcome in his hometown. Hathaway received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained while serving overseas.
• A Remembrance Ceremony held at the Forum in Presque Isle remembered those who died on 9-11-01 as the result of terrorist attacks. The event took place in conjunction with the Maine State Federation of Firefighters Convention.
• SAD 1 enrollment saw a big drop to 1,899 registered students for 2010-11, down 107 students from last year.
• UMPI and NMCC partnered to enable early childhood education students to meet new state guidelines that require graduates have a four-year degree.
• The town of Wade opened a new town office at 1280 Main St., Apt. 2, in Washburn, managed by Office Clerk Cheryl Sperrey.
October
• Municipal departments in Presque Isle faced changes, with City Manager Jim Bennett proposing city councilors consider combining code enforcement with the fire department, hiring up to four dispatchers rather than new officers as officers left the police department (through retirement or other reasons) and combining the Forum with the Rec Department.
• Ashland officials began considering taking over the former Ashland Elementary School for municipal use, following SAD 32’s completion of the Ashland K-12 District School.
• SAD 1 board members weren’t pleased with a new Maine law that requires school districts to ask parents for their child’s Social Security numbers which would, in turn, be entered into the Maine Department of Education’s student data system.
• Aroostook State Park announced the acquisition of 145 additional acres for public use, thanks, in part, to a donation by Massachusetts resident Nancy Askin.
• The United Way of Aroostook held a campaign kickoff ceremony at Riverside Park, with a goal of raising $520,000 over the coming year.
• Cycling enthusiasts pedaled to raise funds for breast cancer awareness, joining other rides in participating in Trek Women Breast Cancer Awareness Rides Oct. 9 held across the U.S., with money going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
• Local police, Rec Department and DEP officials were investigating drainage of Mantle Lake, deemed vandalism by PIPD.
• Rains delayed the annual potato harvest.
• A rail agreement was reached between the state and Montreal, Maine and Atlantic for the purchase of 233 miles of track between Madawaska and Millinocket, following an announcement that the federal government had awarded over $10.5 million to MDOT through the second round of grants from the Transportation and Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.
• Theresa Fowler, executive director of the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, was named Chamber Executive of the Year during a ceremony held downstate.
• Zane Wetzel, a Maine Public Service lineman, was seriously injured in a work-related accident and flown to Boston for treatment.
• Bridgewater Town Manager Amanda Dow resigned to take a position with the Maine Revenue Services in Houlton.
• Chief Naldo Gagnon, PIPD, resigned to take a position with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department.
• ACAP hosted an open house at its Childhood Development Center at the former Gouldville School on Parsons Street, following its acquisition of the facility from the city of Presque Isle.
• SAD 1 unveiled a new after-school program that is designed to help struggling students hone their learning skills in reading and math.
• City officials made the proposed 2011 municipal budget accessible to citizens via the Internet for the first time.
November
• Students with the Presque Isle Regional Career and Technical Center built a new home for Beryl Ayotte, a 74-year-old Presque Isle resident who devoted many volunteer hours to the program in past years.
• PIHS was one of about 20 schools in the state that served as a satellite site during the Prepare Maine Gubernatorial Forum that originated from Bangor High School.
• Citizens expressed budget concerns during Presque Isle City Council’s first meeting of the month, with much of the discussion focusing on possible problems that would arise if the city manager’s proposed plan to combine the Forum and Rec Department is approved.
• The Crow’s Nest hosted a fundraiser for Adam MacDonald, a local man suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, raising over $9,000 for CureDuchenne. The event was a birthday wish of MacDonald’s and far exceeded his goal of raising $2,500 by his 25th birthday.
• WWII veteran Eugene Sawyer received France’s highest honor during a ceremony held at the Presque Isle Elks’ Lodge, with Consul General Christophe Guilhou presenting Sawyer with the award.
• A broadband forum, held at the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library and hosted by ConnectME, resulted in participants discussing ways to improve Maine’s Internet infrastructure and how people are using the service at home and at work.
• Paul LePage, R-Waterville, was elected governor. Locally, Emily Smith retained her Presque Isle City Council seat, while Bruce Sargent was elected to fill a seat held by Calvin Hall, who had not sought re-election.
• Glenna Johnson Smith, 90, of Presque Isle — a former English teacher at Presque Isle High School — published her first book, “Old Maine Woman: Stories from the Coast to The County.”
• Funeral home director Rick Duncan began the process of building a regional hospice house, inspired by his own experiences with his mother, Maxine, who bravely fought breast cancer for several years. The facility would serve families from Aroostook County.
• The Presque Isle Historical Society unveiled its latest historical marker at Mantle Lake Park which depicts the history of the lake.
• Michael Willette, of Presque Isle, following his re-election as state representative for District 5 as a Democrat, cited ideology for his decision to switch to the Republican party.
• The Maine Department of Conservation announced UMPI will receive $750,000 to be used toward the replacement of two oil-fired boilers with a wood chip boiler, with Northeast Pellets selected to supply product for the boiler.
• A 2011 Biathlon World Cup Gala held at the Crow’s Nest, a Maysville Street restaurant and event center, raised about $30,000 that will be used toward hosting of the event.
• SAD 1 reported student harvest help was at a 10-year low.
• Easton saw a change in management, with the departure of Town Manager John Hangen and the hiring of Jim Gardner, former town manager of Ashland, to assume the duties of town manager.
December
• Presque Isle City Council gave preliminary approval to a ‘pay-as-you-throw’ program for residents of the city to dispose of trash.
• Ground was broken for the addition to the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library.
• Jerry McAvaddy, Presque Isle’s code enforcement officer — and who suffered a stroke over a year ago — sought legal counsel when city officials decided to revamp various municipal departments as a way to cut spending, offering McAvaddy a police dispatcher position — a job not suited to his current physical condition.
• The Presque Isle Rotary Club held its 63rd annual Radio/TV Auction, raising $34,700, with about $20,000 going toward roof replacement for Catholic Charities, based in Caribou.
• Long-time newsman, Jack Faulkner, died at the age of 79.
• UMPI received the inaugural 2010 Second Nature Leadership Award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership in the public baccalaureate category.
• Easton Superintendent Frank Keenan announced his plans to retire at the end of the school year.
• Presque Isle City Council voted to keep the municipal budget flat, setting the 2011 figure at $12,442,509 — the same as 2010’s.
• Tim Crowley, president of NMCC, was honored for 25 years of service to the college and the community.
• Presque Isle’s postal patrons were told construction on the steps and handicap ramp would be completed by the end of the year, once new hand rails were installed.
• Phyllis and Leonard Hutchins, of West Chapman, donated dozens of hand-made toys to the United Way of Aroostook, for distribution to area youth at Christmastime.
• Nancy Nichols resigned as Presque Isle’s city clerk to take a job with ACAP, the agency she began her working career with nearly three decades ago.
• SAD 1 staff were told to “be friendly, not friends” with students, following a newly-drafted policy that would prohibit unacceptable conduct between staff and students was introduced at a school board meeting.
• Local biathlon organizers attended an Austrian event, picking up tips to better prepare them for what’s ahead as Fort Kent and Presque Isle get ready to host the World Cup festivities in February 2011.
• Richard Porter, of Spudland Alpacas, took first place at the National Elite Alpaca Auction in Oklahoma with an alpaca named Nutmeg.
